


Like a Red, Red Rose

by Taemintchocolate



Category: Queen (Band)
Genre: Age Difference, Angst, F/M, Fluff, Infidelity, I’ll add more tags later, Maybe idk yet - Freeform, Smut, Sugar Daddy Roger, age gap, forgot to say that Jim and Freddie are married, its not that important but it’s soft so, just a lil bit later on
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-16
Updated: 2019-05-30
Packaged: 2019-10-11 04:09:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,240
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17439677
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Taemintchocolate/pseuds/Taemintchocolate
Summary: Florence was on her way to meet her friends after work like she would’ve been any other day, but something is different this time.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Okay so this is my first proper Queen fic so pls be gentle w me ;)
> 
> Roger is 49 in this and Florence is 25 so they’re both consenting adults!

“Right girls, close up shop! That’s five o’clock!” 

Florence was relieved to hear those words, practically skipping her way through the small flower shop to the front door so she could turn the sign. It had been a busy day seeing as it was the height of summer and people were putting in more and more orders for arrangements. It was nice to spend the day creating the different works of art and taking orders, but everyone got tired after a while. 

“You’re sprightly today, Flo. Got a hot date tonight?” Her co worker, Amelia asked with a cheeky smile, sweeping the floors of any fallen leaves or petals. The girl was older by Florence by a couple of years, and was petite in stature with blonde hair and blue eyes, her cheeks dotted with freckles. She had features any girl would kill for, and a personality to match her soft looks.  
“No hot dates. I’m going out with a couple of friends and it’s not my turn to pay. Who wouldn’t be excited for free food and drinks?” She chuckled, moving her own dark curls from her face as she headed to the back of the shop to fill the mop bucket so she could clean the floor and get them out of there. 

“What’s this about hot dates, huh?” Marie, the manager asked as she came out to see to the cash registers and card machine. She was an older woman, her hair starting to grey, crow’s feet beginning to appear beneath her eyes. She still had as much passion as any of the others for her job, however, and always seemed happy even if she had been up since six in the morning buying new flowers from the market. 

“Talking about how neither of us have any. Well, unless you count my date with my new Buffy box set as a hot date, then I’ve got a fair few.” Amelia chuckled, causing Marie to shake her head fondly at the girl as she swept her pile of fallen leaves and petals into a dustpan and put them in the bin. After having done so, Florence began to quickly mop the floor.  
“You’re giving that some welly tonight, Florrie. Since you’re so passionate, you could give the skirtings a wipe. Oh—and Amelia, I think some of the vases need their water changed. I don’t trust Oliver to do it tomorrow morning, you saw what happened last time.” Marie dished some more tasks out because as much as she loved the girls, she’d like to have them working while they were in the store.

Once Marie had run out of tasks and the shop was thoroughly cleaned, the girls were allowed to clock out and leave. Florence walked briskly down the street through the humid city air, seeing as her apartment building wasn’t far from the store. Once inside, she got ready for her night ahead, exchanging her apron and her jeans for a dress and heels. After deciding she looked presentable, she headed out. There was plenty of time for her to get to where she needed to be, so she took her time getting to the train station. 

Well, that was until an announcement came over the loudspeakers that basically said ‘We don’t have the staff for the next train. It’s cancelled. Deal with it.’ 

Fabulous. Amazing. What was she to do now? She didn’t drive, living in such a crowded city made it pointless to do so since it took about an hour to drive any decent distance, and Florence was unfamiliar with buses. This left her one choice, and that was to get a taxi at a peak time which was bound to cost an arm and a leg. However, there was no other option so begrudgingly, she headed out of the station. 

It wasn’t too long before she managed to find a taxi that was willing to take her to where she had to go, but there was one condition. She had to share with someone else going the same way. That suited her fine, however, just wanting to get to the restaurant to meet her friends on time. She was always on time and didn’t want to lose her streak, so with that in mind, she got into the taxi and was on her way. 

The man she was sharing with was a bit older than her, probably about Marie’s age or thereabouts. His hair was dyed a light blond shade with the roots showing, large blue eyes shining in the summer light as they drove through the city. He had fine lines around his mouth and on his forehead, bags under his eyes forming but they didn’t take away from the attraction she felt. He was handsome, what could she say? 

“Its a lovely day today, huh? Hasn’t been this warm in a while.” He hummed, looking her over briefly which brought a soft flush to her cheeks. Normally, Florence would find anyone that started a conversation with a remark about the weather to be completely dull and boring, but this man managed to make it sound interesting. That was a talent, she had to say.  
“Yeah, it’s been real nice. Good for us, good for the animals and good for the flowers.” She smiled, then cringed internally at her own response. ‘Good for the flowers’? Really, Florence? Working in that store nine to five all week must’ve been getting to her head. Surely flowers hadn’t become her only personality trait?  
“You like flowers, huh? I should’ve guessed that from your tattoo. Its looks good, by the way.” He said, nodding to her hands. She had a tattoo of a dandelion on her ring finger with the little fluffy seed parachutes floating away. She had it more for the symbolism, but the fact it was a flower was just a bonus for her.

“Thank you! Hey, what’s your name?” She asked with a bright smile, perking up considerably. More confidence came to the fore due to the compliment, which was simple but able to make her evening.  
“I’m Roger Taylor, what’s yours?” He asked casually with a fond smile, seeming to find her attitude endearing. How could he not? She didn’t show it through much else other than a smile, but he could tell that the his comment on her choice of tattoo meant a lot more than she expressed.  
“I’m Florence Rose, it’s nice to meet you Mr. Taylor.” She said with a polite smile, offering her hand to shake. He took it gently as thought she would break if he was too rough, almost like she was the dandelion on her finger and would fall apart if he didn’t handle her with care. Her heart fluttered in her chest, but she knew she shouldn’t think too deep into it. 

“The same to you, Miss. Rose. So, what do you do for a living?” He asked, though he was sure he probably knew the answer.  
“It won’t surprise you, but I work in a flower shop. You probably won’t have heard of it, we’re pretty small but it’s called What In Carnation.” She chuckled as she said the name, watching as a small laugh made its way out of Roger’s lips.  
“I see. Well, I’ll make sure I stop by at some point. Can’t ignore a name like that can I? It’d be a crime.” He smiled, making a mental note to stop by at some point. He definitely wanted to see more of this girl.  
“I’ll look forward to it, then. What do you do?” Florence asked, idly twirling the ends of a couple of her now kind of frizzy curls around her fingertips.  
“I’m the CEO at RMT Records. Ah—don’t look at me like that! It’s not that amazing!” Roger laughed, looking at Florence who sat agape when she heard that.  
“I’m sorry! It’s just—I learned about your company at university! You’re practically a millionaire...” she said, looking fascinated. It was hardly believable that he was sitting right in front of her, speaking to casually.

“You learned about me at university? What did you study?” He asked curiously, suddenly interested in what she had done previously.  
“I did business and got a degree, but I’ve not managed to land a full time place in that world. It’s really difficult, I’ve got the experience but the competition is a lot.” She sighed softly, looking a little wistful. She had many hopes and dreams of being successful, but they never happened because unfortunately, the world is cruel and pricked the young and hopeful on its thorns until they settled for what they could get.  
“Yeah, it can be difficult to get in but once you’re in it’s worth it. You end up being able to work your way up, like my receptionist is moving to another company as a secretary—“ he trailed off, then looked over Florence once again. A degree in business and likely had some admin experience from the temporary work that had been taken up in the past. Maybe this could work. She seemed to have the same thing in mind, but didn’t want to say. Was he really going to offer her this opportunity? 

“Why don’t you apply for the job? It can’t hurt. No hard feelings if you don’t, but it could give you a good start.” He offered, rummaging in his pocket for a business card. The younger took it from him gently and slipped it into the front of her back with a smile, nodding.  
“Maybe I’ll give it a shot. I do like working at the flower shop but I wanna do something with my life, I’m not getting any younger...” she hummed, to which Roger chortled softly.  
“Tell me about it.” He smiled, heart sinking slightly as the taxi stopped. This was their goodbye for now, but perhaps this wouldn’t be the last that he saw of her. She went to rummage in her bag for a couple of notes to pay the fare with, but Roger placed a hand on hers gently and shook his head, getting a couple of notes of his own and paying the driver before she could protest. Gentleman or what?

“I’ll see you later then. Email your resume to the address on that card and we’ll schedule an interview for you.” Roger said with a warm smile.  
“Yeah...okay. Thanks, Mr. Taylor.” She grinned, to which he gave a dismissive wave of his hand.  
“Anytime, Miss. Rose. I’ll let you go now.” And with that, they said their goodbyes and headed off in opposite directions to their destinations. 

Did that really just happen?


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to anyone who has left kudos or had even given this story a read!! I genuinely didn’t think it would be interesting to anyone but I wanted to write it anyway, so the fact that people are showing some amount of interest is a big bonus! 
> 
> The flowers in the bouquet have certain symbolism, but for this story the specifics are: 
> 
> Gardenia - purity, love  
> Peony - bashfulness and compassion  
> Lavender - grace, elegance  
> Lily of the Valley - happiness, sweetness 
> 
> I didn’t wanna put it in the story because it might seem a little weird to fit in but it might not have been clear if I didn’t mention them so that’s why this is so long hahaha I’ll shut up now and let you read on if you’re still here!

When Florence broke the news of her applying for the receptionist position at RMT Records, everyone was pretty supportive. Amelia even took her shopping for a new outfit - she had to dress to impress, as she put it. 

Now sitting on the plush black leather couches in the reception, her heart hammered in her chest as her hands got clammy. She hadn’t been so nervous for an interview before, but this was a big deal. This could be her chance at actually starting a career in the business industry, maybe not the most exciting thing to most people but to her, it was everything. She couldn’t mess this up. 

That combined with the eyes she felt on her due to what she was wearing only heightened the nerves she felt. Amelia has suggested that since music places tended to have a casual dress code, she should go for business casual to make a good impression. It was an interview after all. It sounded like a good idea too, but now sitting there in her tapered navy blue trousers, her floaty cream blouse and similarly coloured kitten heels, she was regretting the decision. Everyone else was dressed in any outfit you’d see someone on the street wearing, lanyards around their necks as they went about their business. 

Of course, Florence couldn’t have gone to such a big interview without a couple of good luck charms. One of these was her little charm bracelet that a friend had bought her for her last birthday. It was silver, and had all different colours of rose charms on it, her favourite being the dark burgundy one that now twinkled in the summer sun streaming through the windows. The other was a ring with a single amethyst in the middle of the gold band that Marie had given her as a good luck present. To be fair, it most likely wasn’t a real amethyst, but it still meant as much as a real one would. It also didn’t match with her bracelet, but there was nothing in Florence that really cared. 

For what seemed like the one hundredth time that morning, she took her pocket mirror out of her bag and fidgeted with her appearance, making sure her skin wasn’t too shiny, that her hair was still tamed back into the bun she had secured it in before she had left the house. This was brought to an end, however as a tall woman with red hair and kind, green eyes approached her with a smile. She too was dressed casually, in simple blue jeans with a white shirt tucked into the waistband. The combination was timeless, really. 

“Miss Rose? They’re ready for you now. If you’d like to follow me right this way...” she spoke softly, almost delicately in a way that immediately made her feel at ease. Florence simply gave a weak smile of her own along with a nod, standing and following the woman as she led her down the different hallways, all of the simple brick walls lined with pictures of the artists signed to the label. They then arrived outside a door that led to what she could only assume was the interview room. The redhead gently rapped her knuckles against the dark, solid wood, to be met with a ‘come in!’ seconds later. 

The door was then opened and inside, from what she could see, were two people sitting at a table with one empty seat to the left. She guessed that’s where the woman who had taken her there was sitting, and her guess was confirmed when she took her seat. However, the most important one being Roger, who was in the middle of them. The CEO was there. Wow, that was interesting. Roger must be pretty specific and involved with his staffing. After all, it wasn’t every day you were meeting the CEO at the interview. Well, that’s what Florence had learned over the years, but she supposed everyone did things differently. 

She might’ve just been seeing things, but she was sure she noticed his smile growing a little as she walked into the room. 

“Please take a seat, Miss...?” The man to the right of Roger said, looking at her expectantly.  
“Rose. Florence Rose.” She spoke up, her voice coming out a little louder than she had intended. The man didn’t seem to notice, however, and simply gave a smile as she sat down across from them at the large, wooden table. 

“Okay, Miss Rose. I’m John Deacon, the Deputy CEO, this is Roger Taylor, the CEO, and this is Blaire Cassidy, Roger’s PA. Now, let’s see here...” the man, supposedly John Deacon, spoke as Blaire began to take notes. 

~

It was a week or so before Florence heard anything back about the job, but when it came out that she was successful and had scored the opportunity, there were congratulations all round. She must’ve looked like a crazy woman when she ran from her apartment to the store, her hair tousled and eyes wide. Marie had just finished serving a customer when she came in and at first, was fearful that there was something wrong. The tears didn’t come until her leaving dinner, but she knew this was what she needed. A change of pace, and perhaps an opportunity to finally pursue a career that not only was steady and would have a consistent wage, but was also something that was a touch more exciting than what she had done before. 

The job was definitely interesting. To her, at least. What would seem mundane and boring to other people was what she found interesting, another man’s trash, another man’s treasure would be a way she’d describe it. Perhaps it was due to the fact that she was just a touch nosey and got to know what everyone was up to since she as access to all of the calendars, but really, who wasn’t just a little interested in what other people were doing?  
There was a lot of admin involved, making appointments and making sure nothing clashed with anything else. Then, there was directing calls using the switchboard and welcoming people as they appeared in reception, plus organising mail and making sure it got to the right people.

Florence saw more of Roger than she thought she would’ve. Sometimes he’d come and see how she was getting on, making sure everyone was welcoming to her and that she was getting to grips with things like the switchboard and the computer programs. He was often the last person to leave as was she, so he’d stop at the front desk as she was shutting the computer down and finishing her filing of the day and wait so they could walk out together. She enjoyed moments like those ones, though made sure she didn’t forget that he was her boss at the end of the day and was simply being a good person by making sure she was alright. 

A funny thing happened one morning, however. It was almost a month in during one of their mail deliveries. 

The reception was generally pretty simplistic which made it easy to keep clean. She had heard from a couple of people that this was down to Roger’s distaste for too much to the point that it was tacky. After all, first impressions were important and he wanted people to feel as relaxed as they could in his offices. But then, along with their usual parcels and letters, there were two boxes no bigger than a letterbox marked with the name of a florist company on them. It was one of their previous rivals, she noted, but What In Carnation didn’t deliver by post so she allowed it to slide this time. 

“I’m not sure those are meant for us.” Florence said with a slight frown.  
“They’re addressed for this place, Miss. It’ll say who ordered them on the label.” He said, nodding to the address label. Thanks for that, captain obvious. She kept a smile on her face, however, and thanked the postman who nodded and walked off. She then sorted the mail into different piles and as she was doing so, none other than Roger himself made an appearance. It was like he knew that something particularly interesting had come in the post as he immediately brought up the subject. 

“Morning, Florence. What’ve we got today?” He asked, standing at the desk with that usual smile he wore when he spoke to her. It made her heart flutter, and she knew it was wrong and would curse herself afterwards, but didn’t think much of it at the time.  
“You’ve got a couple of letters, as does Mr Deacon...oh! There’s some parcels too but I can make sure they get to the right owners. Though there are a couple for you...” she hummed, setting the right items out in front of him.  
“Oh! Good. These are special.” He grinned, then unpicked the sellotape on the boxes so they could be opened. 

Inside were flowers, funnily enough. They were lying flat and from what Florence could tell, there were gardenias, white peonies, lavender and lily of the valley all in the boxes. She couldn’t contain the gasp that made its way out when she laid her eyes on the different blooms, the sweet smell permeating the air around them. 

“I thought we could invest in something to brighten up reception a bit, since people have been saying it looks a little plain. Plus, I thought it might be a nice little job for you to arrange them.” Roger hummed, smiling fondly at the look on Florence’s face.  
“They’re beautiful, sir. I’ll make them look as lovely as I can. Have you got any vases?” She asked with a tilt of her head, since those were pretty essential to any decent flower arrangement.  
“Ah, yeah. I’ll have someone fill them and bring them out, but I was just going to ask you something too...” he trailed off, anxiety flickering over his features momentarily.  
“What is it, Mr Taylor?” She coaxed, to which he composed himself and went back to his previous demeanour. 

“There’s a fundraising cocktail event in a couple of weeks that one of my friends is hosting, and I need someone to take with me. I thought it’d be a good opportunity to meet some of the people you might come into contact with here, so will you come with me?” Roger asked, the words flowing smoothly.  
“Well—I don’t have anything to wear and...and don’t you think it would be more appropriate to bring your wife?” Florence stammered, cheeks heating up at the very idea. No way was this really happening, right?  
“Don’t worry about finding anything, I have a friend that owes me a favour. My wife also has a work commitment that day, so isn’t able to attend.” He smiled, and at that, Florence had no grounds to refuse. 

“Well...okay then, it could be fun. What date is it so I can mark it down?” She asked, quickly taking a post it note from the pile next to the computer.  
“It’s at the end of next month, the thirty first of July. Now, don’t you worry about transport or anything of the sort, okay? I’ll take care of it.” He said with his usual, charming demeanour. He then left before she could protest, not that she had any plans of doing so. 

Florence looked down at the hastily scribbled date, biting her lip with a small smile. It was becoming hard for her to just blame this all on him wanting to be a good boss, seeing as he was now offering to get her a dress and take her to the event. She found it strange that his wife was unable to go, surely she’d be able to get the time off over a month in advance? It was weird, but was she going to question it and risk missing out? Not at all. 

On Roger’s way back to his office, he did as he said he would and got his Blaire to get the vases and put water in them to take to reception, then sat at his desk with a silly grin on his face. He felt like a stupid teenage boy that had just gotten the popular girl to go to prom with him. He then remembered his promise to get a dress for her, and moved to the phone to dial a certain number. 

“Hello, Heidi. Can you put me through to Freddie? It’s Roger.” He spoke clearly, using the best work voice he could manage.  
“Of course, you’ve got good timing, he’s just back from a meeting.” The designer’s PA replied, then the hold music began to play. It only lasted a couple of minutes though, and before long, the other man’s voice greeted him.  
“Good morning, darling! What can I do for you today?” He asked in his cheery tone that immediately caused Roger to chuckle. 

“I’m taking you up on that favour, I’ve got a job for you...”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if this seems a little choppy from the little skips but I couldn’t think of how else to do it! This is also going a lot slower than I had anticipated but I promise it’ll get good if it’s boring now! 
> 
> Thank you as always to anyone who has left kudos or is reading at all! It means a lot!!

Life certainly was strange sometimes. 

Here Florence was a week later, just about to take her lunch break. The conversation with Roger about the charity evening had slipped her mind by this point due to the fact that she had other priorities to focus on with work, but he continued to see her as he was leaving and they still had their little conversations. Florence could feel herself falling farther, but didn’t acknowledge it. That way, it felt less real. 

It was almost one o’clock and she was preparing to leave the building for the hour, logging off of the computer so the person filling in for her while she was gone could log on and do some work of their own. She had learned her lesson about leaving the building after she had had her break interrupted by other people needing help with different tasks. She wouldn’t have that again. 

All was going to plan until, suddenly, a man wandered into reception. He was wearing yellow plaid trousers with the bottoms rolled up and a white shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows and a couple of buttons undone at the top, along with a pair of aviator sunglasses perched atop his nose. He wasted no time in making his presence known, sashaying up to the desk with a bright expression. The somewhat tame outfit he wore balanced out his bright and energetic demeanour. 

“Hello darling! Are you Florence? Ah, you must be!” He said enthusiastically, standing with his weight mostly bearing on his right leg, causing him to lean slightly to one side as he moved his glasses to rest on top of his head, dark brown eyes now exposed. Florence herself looked up with an almost intimidated expression, giving a slight nod after taking in what was happening.  
“Uh, yes, that’s me. Can I direct you to someone? Do you have an appointment?” She asked, composing herself. She was still working for the next ten minutes, after all, so decided to try and help him. The man simply chuckled and shook his head.  
“No, dear, not exactly. My name is Freddie Mercury, and I’m friends with Roger. I’m doing him a favour you see...I’m sure he told you, right?” he explained, and suddenly, Florence had some kind of a eureka moment. 

_This man was a fashion designer, a famous one at that. Roger said he had a friend that owed him a favour when she mentioned she had nothing to wear. Was this real life?_

“Oh! Well, I can call him and ask him to come out—“ she started, but he waved his hand dismissively.  
“Don’t worry about him, dear. Can you stand up so I can take your measurements? I have a couple of ideas in mind, and if my timing is right, you’re about to get lunch...” he trailed off with a smile, reaching into his pocket and taking out a small, wound up measuring tape, a notepad and a pen.  
“Ah—well, I only get an hour...” Florence started, standing up in front of Freddie as he had asked. He then began measuring her waist and her hips, then instructing her on where to hold the tape to measure her bust. After noting down the measurements, he pocketed the tape and the paper. He seemed oblivious to anyone looking their way, and Florence couldn’t blame them for staring. It wasn’t everyday you saw a famous fashion designer measuring someone in the middle of reception. 

“An hour will be plenty of time, dear. Grab your things and let’s go, shall we?” He smiled, allowing Florence to grab her bag before he led her out of the building and into the sunny street. 

***

After walking down different streets to a quiet coffee shop with Freddie, she had already gotten a thorough idea of the different designs he had come up with for dresses to wear. He had a way with describing things, and it was like she could really see the garment in front of her. Clothes and fashion were obviously something he was passionate about, and it made you feel warm on the inside to listen to him speak about it. 

Now sitting down with a coffee and a sandwich each, he showed her his different sketches he had come up with in his sketchbook that he carried in his large leather tote bag that was slung over his shoulder. He seemed completely uncaring of whether or not the bag was really meant for him to wear, it was more like he saw and liked it, and as a result, decided to wear it. She liked that, and could only wish she had that confidence. 

“So, firstly I have this one...it’d be a velvet sort of material though it’s not as heavy, and it’s it’s not too close fitting so you won’t be overheating trying to wear it. It’ll be night time anyway, and you’ll be inside so I shouldn’t think that’ll be an issue...what do you think of the length?” He asked, showing her his first sketch. Florence took a sip of her coffee and looked it over, the dress having a pleated skirt and straps, no sleeves. She did like it.  
“It’s alright, it’s not too long and it’s not showing off my butt. It’s pretty, definitely...but with the belt part here, I’m not so sure about it being lower down. I wouldn’t want to look really long, if you get what I mean?” Florence commented, trying to sound as nice as possible. Freddie nodded, looking over the design.  
“We could certainly raise it up a little, I understand what you mean...anyway, let me show you your other options!” He smiled, clearly taking her opinion into consideration as he showed her each design. 

The one that stood out to her the most was pretty simple - a satin dress that had a flowing knee length skirt and a wrap detail in the front. The neckline was sort of low, but Freddie assured her that there was no danger of anything popping out which prompted a fit of giggles from the younger girl. The sleeves were particularly interesting, they were long and puffed out a little towards the end, the cuffs being elasticated. It was fair to say that this one was her favourite. 

“Is this the one, dear?” He asked with a soft smile, to which Florence nodded quickly.  
“This is the one, I think. It’s gorgeous, Freddie.” She nodded in agreement, to which he chuckled and put the sketchbook away.  
“You’ve made a good choice. I forgot to ask though, what colour would you like it in? I think it’d be particularly pretty if you had it in a dark red, then paired it with silver. It’d be stunning, in fact.” He suggested, to which Florence gave an enthusiastic nod.  
“Sounds lovely. You’re real good at this, Y’know.” She said casually, then blushed at how silly she must’ve sounded. _Of course he was good at this. It was his job._

“You flatter me, darling. No wonder Rog is so fond of you.” He chuckled, sipping his own drink. There was a moment of silence as Florence took in this new information. He spoke about her to his friends?  
“He’s fond of me...?” She asked with a curious expression, still looking a little shocked.  
“Of course! He doesn’t stop going on about how good of a worker you are, always on time and all of that, not to mention the fact that you’re always cheerful even at nine in the morning.” He chuckled, Florence blushing at the praise. Roger really thought that highly of her? She was about to mention that, but Freddie kept speaking. 

“I mean, even if he didn’t tell me all of that, I would’ve guessed that he liked you since he’s using the favour I owe him on getting you a dress made. Of course, I don’t mind it, but I just didn’t expect it.” He shrugged, Florence going quiet as she drank her latte to hide her face.  
“Well...he’s a lovely boss and all. It’s kind of him to do these things for me. He’s just trying to make me feel more comfortable though, right?” She spoke quietly, knowing that she must sound awfully naive.  
“Yeah...that’s totally what he has in mind~” Freddie chuckled mischievously, glancing at the time before his eyes widened and he stood from his seat. 

“Come on, Flo. We’ll be late if we don’t leave now. You can give me your number on the way there, right? I have to schedule a fitting with you once I have the dress made.” 

***

Once they arrived back at the record label headquarters, Florence immediately rushed to her post and set her things down. She then thanked the girl that had taken over, who simply shook her head with a smile and reassured her that she absolutely didn’t mind. 

“Well, I’ll let you get back to work. Roger will likely be nosy and want to see what I’ve got planned for you—Ah, speak of the devil and he shall appear.” Freddie chuckled, looking over as his friend made his way out.  
“Brought her back just in time, huh? Unlike you, Freddie.” Roger hummed as he walked over, Freddie giving a relaxed shrug.  
“I wouldn’t want to get her into trouble. Now, I suppose you’re here to see what I’ve got in mind?” He asked, to which Roger nodded and led Freddie towards the direction of his office. 

The walk there was pretty quiet, but once they got to the safety of Roger’s office, they began to speak. 

“So, Miss Rose seems like a lovely little thing~” Freddie teased with a laugh, Roger rolling his eyes as he sat down at his desk.  
“Oh, come off it Fred—“ Roger began to protest, but the older man was having none of it.  
“Come off what? You’ve got a thing for her. I can tell.” He shrugged as if it was the most obvious thing in the world which, really, it was.  
“I don’t! Why on earth are you saying that?” He sighed, sounding almost irritable. Only because he knew it was true, though.  
“Because you’re getting me to make her a dress with the favour I owe you! Usually you get me to do something much less pleasant.” Freddie explained, shuddering as he thought about the last favour he had done for Roger, which had been to neatly press each of his shirts. And trust him, Roger had a lot of shirts to be pressed. 

“So what? I’d do that for anyone I was taking with me that needed something to wear!” Roger shot back, which prompted a chortle from Freddie to become present.  
“You would not! Don’t kid on. You got Blaire to buy herself a new dress to wear to that fancy meeting.” Freddie chuckled, sitting back in his seat with his arms loosely folded across his chest  
“Look, it doesn’t matter, okay? Who I have feelings for doesn’t concern you. Just show me what you’re making.” Roger said with a sigh, sitting back down at his desk. He was never one to fight for a lost cause, no matter how much he may want to. Freddie then began to take his sketchbook out, flipping through the pages before setting it down on the table between them. He explained all of the details, Roger nodding along. Florence would certainly look...striking in that dress, to say the least. 

Once they had gone over everything and gotten briefly distracted by chatting about the new cat that Jim had bought while he was out (then tried to hide in his coat and failed because the cat’s tail was peeking out from the bottom), Freddie stood to leave but stopped at the door.

“Look, whether or not you like this girl, you’ve got to figure yourself out first. Think about your family, think about the effect this will have.” Freddie spoke softly, for once looking serious.  
“I know you and Debbie have been struggling lately, but you’ve got to think this through. Don’t go to Florence just because you’re having trouble with your wife, it’s not fair on her to use her.” He added after a moment but, like Roger would do, he scoffed and shook his head.  
“You needn’t worry about it, Fred. Nothing will happen, and that’s a fact.” Though, it was as clear as day to anyone that he had briefly forgotten about that minor fact. 

And with that, the two headed out of the room and towards the exit of the headquarters, Freddie waving to Florence who was now on the phone before he headed out and into the busy street. 

Roger gave yet another sigh, but perked up. He definitely had some thinking to do. The attraction to the girl couldn’t be ignored, but he didn’t even know if she felt the same way. If she did, what would they do? Would they have an affair? Would he divorce his current wife? What about the kids? Well, they weren’t exactly kids now, but still. This was all so complicated all of a sudden. Goddamn you, Freddie Mercury for bringing up valid points that he hadn’t even considered.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m so sorry this literally took three months but here we go folks if anyone was waiting for this,, i hope it was worth it haha
> 
> Also if there’s any mistakes in this just ignore them. I got lazy so c’est la vie

Five o’clock struck, and Roger was out of there. He knew tonight would be important, more so than usual so he definitely wanted all the time he could get to get ready. God, he felt like a teenager again, just like he had when he’d originally asked Florence to go with him. He was surprised she hadn’t called him a creep or at least declined the offer, and he still couldn’t quite believe the reality of the situation. 

Thank god for summer making life simpler, only having to grab the necessities before heading out of the office and towards freedom. And on his way there, he spotted Florence doing her usual, except in a more frantic fashion. It was clear as day to anyone that she was in a rush, but in a rush or not, she was as beautiful as always with her dark curls a little frizzy from the humid weather, her brown eyes focused on the task at hand. Everything about her was so angelic— 

“Uh, sir? Are you alright?” She spoke up, clearly having noticed him staring. Goddammit, why was he so embarrassing?   
“I’m fine, Florence, don’t worry. Just thinking is all...you still up for tonight?” Roger asked casually, attempting to play off the fact that he’d just got caught staring at the considerably younger girl like an absolute creep.   
“Of course, Mr Taylor. It makes a change from staying in and watching an entire boxset of the vampire diaries.” She chuckled, causing him to smile fondly. Of course that’s what she did, he could imagine her sitting there, pillow hugged to her chest as she watched the show intently. Adorable. 

As they headed out to the busy streets, Florence turned to Roger to say her usual goodbye. He spoke first, however, not wanting to hear those words yet. He didn’t want her to go just yet even if he would see her that night.

“I’ll send a car for you at seven, okay? I hope that’ll be enough time, the event starts at half past.” He explained, like he had done several times before. Even so, Florence simply gave a polite nod.  
“Yes, I know. I’ll make sure I’m ready for then. Punctual as always, huh?” She smiled softly, Roger’s heart melting. It was embarrassing how much such a simple thing affected him.   
“Of course. I guess I better let you get going, huh? I’ll see you tonight.” He said with a sheepish smile, Florence going to leave.   
“See you tonight, Mr Taylor.” She agreed, and with that, headed off into the humid evening. He didn’t know what the night held for them, but he had a good feeling about it.

When Roger got home, Debbie was just on her way out of the door to catch her flight for her conference the next day. Rufus was putting her bags into the boot of the car, giving a brief wave and a smile to his dad which Roger returned as he headed inside. 

“Oh, hello! I thought I was going miss you before I left. I hope Brian’s event goes well tonight, I’m sorry I couldn’t go...it was just short notice, you know?” She spoke with a smile, approaching him with open arms. He pulled her close gently, giving a weak smile. The guilt stirred inside him, but he pushed that thought aside for the moment.   
“Yeah, don’t worry about it. All of the others will be there, so not to worry. Next time, yeah?” He reassured her, pressing a brief kiss to her forehead as Tigerlily came into the foyer at the sound of her father’s voice. 

“Gang’s all here tonight, huh?” She joked, eliciting a small chuckle from Roger. Debbie then glanced at the time, and her eyes widened.  
“I better be going or I’ll be late. You behave for your dad, okay? Love you.” She said to her daughter, pressing a brief kiss to her cheek. She then turned to Roger, and gave his hand a squeeze.  
“Try not to be too late, okay? I’ll see you later.” And with that, she headed out of the house to say a goodbye to her son, undoubtedly. 

He then gave a soft sigh as his two children (well, sort of. They were both university age, but they’d always be kids to him) headed upstairs to their rooms, Tigerlily informing him that Lola was out at a sleepover with one of her friends. This was going to be a lot harder than he had anticipated. This whole situation could potentially ruin his family life, and was a girl really worth that? He wasn’t sure in that moment. He liked her, yes, but it was a hard decision. He wanted to be happy, he deserved that much and with his wife, that wasn’t the case. But then again, his family meant the world to him and he really didn’t want to fuck up what he had. God, why was life so complicated? 

***

At exactly seven o’clock on the dot, Roger arrived outside Florence’s apartment building. She appeared not moments later, and it was fair to say she looked pretty breathtaking. The red of her dress complimented her pale complexion well, her dark curls somewhat tamed for the occasion. Her eyes really seemed to pop too, the green undertones in the hazel irises coming through. God, was he overanalysing or what? He shook it off, not wanting to seem creepy. He was pretty sure he’d surpassed that point, however. 

“It’s warm tonight, if it wasn’t for that breeze, I’d be melting.” She chuckled and she got into the car, setting her smooth black leather clutch bag down next to her briefly as she put her seatbelt on. Roger was speechless for a moment, stammering an answer. Thankfully, she didn’t seem to notice.   
“Y-Yeah, it just seems to be getting warmer these days.” He chuckled weakly, cheeks slightly flushed. Thank god that that could easily be blamed on the heat.   
“It really does...it makes me look forward to autumn. Can’t stand much more of this.” Florence chuckled, giving a soft sigh. Roger hated silences, and as such, he desperately tried to think of something to say. What was that, one may ask? Well...

“Freddie did a good job designing that dress for you. It looks really good—“ 

Subtle Roger. Subtle. You always did do that well. 

He was sure he saw a soft flush of colour come to Florence’s cheeks, causing her to look away shyly. That made his heart race, but at the same time, concerned him. Had he spoken out of turn? He was about to apologise, when suddenly...

“Thank you, Mr Taylor. It means a lot that you like it, or that you got him to do this for me at all.” She spoke quietly, Roger shaking his head briefly when he was sure he hadn’t offended her by saying what he had done.   
“Ah, call me Roger outside of work. You don’t need to be so formal.” He spoke quietly, the younger girl now turning to look at him.   
“Okay...Roger...” 

***

They arrived at the event slightly late due to traffic, but Roger didn’t particularly mind. He was always one for the fashionably late approach anyway. Like the gentleman Roger thought of himself as, he got out of the car first and opened Florence’s door for her, almost chuckling at the look on her face. She definitely wasn’t expecting it, but was by no means complaining. They walked up to the entrance of the hotel side by side, Roger’s hand at her waist as they walked through the door. 

Florence looked around and was in awe of the decor, it being like something out of a movie. She had never been somewhere so fancy in her life, and the fascination she felt was evident on her face. The floor was a white marble, a large golden chandelier hung from the ceiling above some dark leather couches and matching chairs. On top of the tables were vases of red roses and baby’s breath, and at the bottom the carpeted staircases were some large potted plants with leaves that fanned out and generally looked elegant. She didn’t know what they were, but they looked nice. 

“Come on, Florence. We’ve gotta go.” Roger murmured softly to her with a fond smile, her cheeks flushing when she realised that she had stopped and stared and their surroundings for the past ten minutes.   
“Oh—Yeah, sorry...” she replied quietly, allowing him to guide her. They arrived at a courtyard - because of course a place as fancy as this had a goddamn courtyard like it was some kind of palace - and there they saw the other guests. 

Outside was somewhat simplistic, there were chairs that were free for anyone to use, cushions on them to prevent discomfort, organised so that they were facing a stage. There was a pianist playing soft melodies on a large grand piano, and microphones could be seen as well which suggested that there would be speeches of some kind later on, perhaps a singer but she doubted it. The stage was lit well, the silky material gently blowing in the soft breeze. Fairy lights hung above the courtyard, allowing gentle light as the sky began to darken. 

Within a couple of moments of being there, both of them were handed drinks and people were approaching Roger to make small talk, not really paying much attention to Florence. That didn’t bother her though, she sort of preferred being in the background. However, one particular man made his way over. He was pretty tall, dressed in a suit with a head of eye catching brown curls. Roger grinned as he saw him, and she could tell that he was important.

“Roger! I’m so glad you came!” The taller man grinned, glancing over at Florence briefly with a curious look in his eye. He had heard about the girl before of course, since Roger and himself had discussed him hiring someone new, but he hadn’t expected to see her here. It was strange to him.   
“Wouldn’t have missed tonight as long as I could avoid it, you know that, Bri. Have you seen Fred yet?” Roger asked, not bringing up anything about the girl next to him. It would undoubtedly be something they discussed by themselves, he didn’t want to make her feel awkward.   
“Not yet, no. Jim said he’ll be here soon, but John and Veronica are here! Anita is currently having a conversation about curtains with them. I took my chance and used the ‘I have to do host stuff’ excuse to get out of it.” He chuckled, Roger giving a laugh of his own. Brian then went off to greet some other guests and thank them for coming, and once again, Roger and Florence were left alone. 

“What do you think, then?” Roger asked softly, resting a hand on her waist with a soft smile.   
“It’s beautiful here...are all of these things as nice as this?” Florence asked, looking up innocently. That melted his heart, he wouldn’t lie.   
“Not quite. Well, Brian’s my best friend so obviously I wouldn’t think so...” he laughed a little, Florence finding the action endearing. She already knew this would be an interesting night, especially when she saw Freddie walk in with a green carnation in his suit jacket pocket. 

***

The night came to an end after a few speeches, an auction, and several cocktails. Everyone was at least a little tipsy but thankfully, no one was flat out drunk. There was a sort of disaster at the end of the night, however. It turned out that Roger’s driver had suddenly taken a turn and was sick, and it would be expensive to take a taxi home this late at night. They also wouldn’t be able to get another driver until tomorrow, so after calling home to let the kids know, Roger led Florence back inside and approached Jim. 

“You need a room overnight?” Jim spoke after hearing their dilemma.   
“If it’s not too much trouble, if it is we can—“ Roger started but the other man shook his head.  
“Say no more. I’ll get you a room, don’t worry.” He said simply, then approached the front desk. He was given a couple of keys within a few minutes, then brought them back over. 

“It’s room five forty eight. Fifth floor and turn left. You’re welcome.” He smiled, then went back to Freddie and walked off with him. As there was nothing else to be done, and they were both quite frankly exhausted, Roger and Florence headed upstairs.

What happened next would change everything.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so there’s smut halfway through this because honestly why not,, but it’s lowkey bland and cringe because I haven’t written that in ages. Anyway! I procrastinated a lot on writing this and posting it but it’s here now and I hope it was at least somewhat worth the wait for anyone still reading! Also,, can u tell I’m the queen of run on sentences ahahaha

After getting the room key, Roger led Florence to the elevator which was unnecessarily fancy in her mind, the whole interior being gold with the flooring being a white marble. She could practically see her reflection in the walls, but tried her best to keep her gaze straight ahead as they ascended to the correct floor.

It took a couple of minutes, so she had time to think about her situation. Not only was she at a big event with her, quite frankly, insanely attractive boss, but she was also about to share a room with him? It all seemed too good to be true. God, that was weird to think about her boss, especially when he was twenty four years older than her and married with kids not much younger than herself. When she thought of it that way, this was all pretty fucked up, but that wouldn’t change how she felt. 

Once the elevator arrived at the correct floor, Roger lead the way down the hall, the floor covered by a plush, dark red carpet and the walls shining with white marble with gold accents and golden lamps. Florence really didn’t think she’d ever fit in in a place like this, or even come close to visiting a place like this. Yet, here she was, in the fanciest hotel in the fanciest dress she owned with her incredibly attractive boss— 

Her breath was taken away when they walked into the room. The room was huge, matching the general theme of red, gold and white. The ceiling was higher than a regular hotel suite would be, the carpet fluffy beneath her heels. It was decked out fully, a large flatscreen in front of the floor to ceiling windows which gave them a perfect view of the nightlife, along with a leather sofa that had several cushions delicately propped up for decoration. There were a couple of other doors which she could only assume led to bedrooms or something. This was more like penthouse than a hotel suite. 

Florence immediately went to sit down, slipping her heels off as she gazed out of the large window to watch the city lights below. She then felt the bed dip next to her, telling her that Roger had sat next to her. 

“It’s lovely, isn’t it?” He hummed, looking straight ahead, similar to herself. She didn’t feel her usual nerves when it came to speaking to Roger, which was surprising, but she wasn’t complaining since her words came out much easier.   
“Yeah, really is...I’ve never been to somewhere so nice before. Thanks for bringing me...and you know, I-I could’ve gotten home myself, so you didn’t have to—“ she started, but ever the gentleman, Roger was quick to interrupt her and reassure her.  
“I did have to, Florence. I wasn’t gonna let you go home yourself this late at night...what kind of guy would I have been then? A pretty mean one, that’s what...” 

Florence then turned to look at him, and just as she did so, Roger turned his head to gaze down at her. It was as if time stopped then, and whether it be the alcohol that had gotten them slightly tipsy, giving them the courage that they needed, or it be their feelings finally boiling over, he leaned down and swiftly captured her lips in a soft kiss. Florence returned it almost immediately, her arms wrapped around his neck as she did so. Moments after, she was straddling his lap and it all got to be pretty overwhelming. This really seemed way too good to be true, and she was sure she was about to wake up from this dream any second now—

Except, she didn’t. He ended the kiss after a minute or so which she was thankful for as her lungs felt like they were burning. They looked at each other, breathless and flushed, just gazing at one another before either could speak. 

“Florence, I’m sorry—“ he began, but she was having none of it.  
“Don’t apologise, that’s the best kiss I’ve ever been given. I’d like more, if...if you’ll give me that...” she spoke softly, having a sudden burst of confidence despite the quiet tone. But who was Roger to deny this lovely girl of what she wanted? 

He leaned up and kissed her again, but this time, things went farther. Hands wandered, namely Roger’s that went to her ass and gripped her firmly as she moved to kiss down his neck. She was careful not to leave marks, seeing as it wasn’t exactly professional to turn up at work the next day with hickies. Particularly if you were the CEO, and that fact was especially true when those hickies were from your receptionist. Not a good look, she could only imagine. 

Things only escalated from there, but neither of them cared. Roger laid the girl down on her back on the bed, never breaking the passionate kiss they shared. He then tugged her skirt up, exposing her, quite frankly boring, plain cotton panties. They were a soft pink though, so at least they were a pretty enough colour.

“How far would you like to go, Miss Rose?” Roger asked, sitting back between her legs as his eyes took in her pliant form beneath him.   
“I...as far as you’re willing to go, Mr Taylor~” she replied with a soft, shy smile which was only endearing to him. He then leaned in to kiss her again, eagerly tugging her dress from her shoulders so he could see it all. After doing so, he moved down once again, but she wore a soft pout this time. 

“What’s wrong, angel?” He asked cheekily, to which she melted at first but soon regained herself.   
“You know, as much as I want you to touch me...I want to see you too, y’know~” she huffed playfully, which only encouraged him to hastily tug his clothes off and toss them aside, leaving him in just his underwear. After he had undressed, they just drank in the sight of each other for a moment. Was this really happening? Apparently so. Roger was the first to snap out of his daze, trailing his hands over her soft skin before landing on her hips. He then looked up at her, a sincere look in his eye.

“Florrie, darling...are you sure you want to go this far? We don’t have to, you know...” he said softly, wanting to make sure the younger didn’t feel pressured. She felt the opposite though, and was more desperate than anything else. The way he talked almost made her feel guilty for feeling that way.   
“Roger, I would’ve told you before now if I didn’t want this...I need you so bad, please don’t make me wait any longer...” she spoke softly, and that’s all he needed. 

As soon as she was finished, he removed the rest of their clothes, then reached a hand down to touch her now soaked clit. His fingers massaged it softly, drawing out soft little mewls as she tilted her head back, eyes shutting blissfully. He carried on the action for a while, the sight of her falling apart beneath him being something ethereally beautiful, something he wanted to remember and stamp into his mind. However, this was drawn to a close when he was reminded of his own arousal when he heard a soft “please give it to me, I need you...” which sent more blood rushing south to the point where it almost hurt. With that in mind, he gently started teasing her entrance with his blunt cockhead, shuddering at the mild relief it provided along with the wanton whines it drew from the beauty beneath him. 

“I’m going to push into you now, Florrie...you tell me if you need to stop, right? I don’t want to hurt you...” he spoke softly, somehow managing to keep his voice steady. That was some amount of self control, he really had to give himself credit for that.   
“I promise I will...come on, I know you need me just as badly as I need you~” Florence breathed in response, and with that, he slowly pushed into her just as he said he would. Both of them cried out at the feeling, Roger having to still his hips so he didn’t cum on the spot from the feeling of her slick muscles surrounding his dick. It was like pure heaven for both of them, and when Roger started thrusting his hips, Florence was rendered an incoherent mess. 

Neither could really manage many words after that point, and any that they could manage were mostly variations of ‘fuck’ and ‘oh my god that’s so good’, plus each other’s names. Neither lasted very long either, though it was clear when both neared their orgasms.

“Please-fuck-gonna cum!” Florence stammered, holding his shoulders and digging her nails into the skin there. The pain mixed with the pleasure was almost too much, causing Roger’s cock to twitch inside her. That and a final thrust of his hips was all it took for her orgasm to come crashing over her. He pulled out just as it hit, rubbing her clit throughout as he stroked himself to completion, shooting his cum over her lower tummy. After finishing, he laid next to her as he panted breathlessly, smiling as he felt her shuffle into his side and snuggle up. God, she was adorable. 

Roger wrapped an arm around her gently, a hand resting on her hip and drawing small patterns into the skin there. As he gazed down at her lying peacefully next to him, he could feel the small buds of love he felt for her blossoming into fully fledged roses of all different shades and hues, and he honestly didn’t know how to feel about it. In an attempt to avoiding facing his feelings at that moment, he gently moved Florence onto her back again, which caused her to whine and give a curious look. 

“I’m just going to clean you up, darling. Then we can sleep, does that sound okay? A shower can wait, I’m exhausted...” he admitted with a soft chuckle, though what he said was only half true. He knew what they just did would keep him up, and not for the good reasons. The guilt was already starting to get to him.   
“That sounds perfect, Roger. Thank you for taking care of me...” she spoke quietly, clearly tired herself. Roger then moved to grab the throw from the bed, gently wiping her tummy. He wasn’t much caring about the bedding as he knew it would be changed, and he wasn’t a fan of getting up and going to the bathroom to get a towel to clean her with. Florence didn’t seem to mind much either, seemingly not wanting to let him go. 

After cleaning up and moving all of the pillows still on the bed, they got under the duvet and within moments, Florence was happily asleep in Roger’s arms. Roger himself, however, didn’t fall asleep until at least an hour after the younger girl did. He knew what he did was wrong, but the thing that confused him was the reasoning for his guilt. Of course it was to do with the fact that he had sex with a girl while being married, but it wasn’t because it would hurt his wife. It was because he didn’t regret it and he knew he should, he knew how wrong it was to cheat on someone and yet...he didn’t regret it. He was almost...at peace with that fact. It was a strange feeling but soon, exhaustion took over, and he was fast asleep. Future roger could worry about it.


End file.
